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It’s a beautiful day in my neighborhood …

Wow. Never mind what’s blooming in my garden today.

I wanted to share with you some of the amazing sights that I enjoy on my daily neighborhood walks with Tanner.

As I was taking these pictures, I was humming that infamous Mister Rogers tune ~~ don’t hate me if you start humming it to yourself now!

Stunning and soft blooms on this prickly cactus.

A close-up of native Agarita berries bursting forth.
Lantana and yuccas make a nice couple!
More blooms,
And a yellow blooming yucca – much less common than the red.
Mexican feather grass blowing in the breeze.

Have a lovely day!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:14-05:00May 8th, 2008|Blog, Sharing Nature's Garden, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Daylilies Done!

Mothere Nature and Daylilies clearly don’t care if you’re sick, as you can see by the yellowing lilies above. They arrived on Friday and today I finally had to tough it out and go plant them. I hope they didn’t suffer too much.
I spent several evenings with the catalog, looking at different varieties and trying to decide on a plan. When they bloom, I should have a rainbow of vibrant colors in two different heights. This is truly an experiment, so I have my fingers crossed.
How about these little limes? I can just taste the iced tea, mojitos and fresh pico de gallo we’ll enjoy with these babies when they ripen.
The caladiums have popped up in the shade garden and bring a bright, light look to this dark bed.
White Daytura coming back after a long winter’s nap.

Now, that’s what I need — a nap. But not this afternoon.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:14-05:00May 6th, 2008|Blog, caladium, datura, daylily, lime, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

More friends and neighbors

Just wanted you to meet some more of our friends. This is Mr. Cardinal, who sings me a lovely song every morning. (Don’t tell anyone, but I chirp back to him.)
Here is one of our many Anoles — darting around the palm fronds trying to keep himself hidden from birds and other predators.
And this is Miss Hummer. Isn’t she delicate? Tonight she and two of her friends came and had dinner with us. My husband put this feeder just outside our breakfast room window so we can sit quietly and enjoy them.

Tonight we also had 3 yearling does come to eat grass on the septic tank for dinner, but I didn’t get any shots of them. All these photos were courtesy of my husband and his fabulous new camera lens. I’m so grateful he helped me out by getting some pictures, as I’m still sick with a sinus infection and have no will to do much of anything. There sure wouldn’t be any post without his help tonight.

I am assuming that these are also the does who ate the flowers off of my new phlox planted at the end of the driveway. Kallie and I went to the mailbox and discovered a cluster of flowers lying in the grass and then found that the phlox had been eaten down to the nubs. I wasn’t sure when I bought them if they would be safe, so I guess I now have my answer!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:14-05:00May 5th, 2008|anole, Blog, cardinal, hummingbird, Sharing Nature's Garden|10 Comments

Awww … meet Benjamin Bunny!

I’ve been checking on the bunny nest daily, carefully watching the layer of bunny fur and bits of grass move gently up and down with the breathing or shifting of the babies tenderly tucked below.

Today, I watched the layer of fur and grass — and it didn’t move. Hmmm. And then I looked up just a tiny bit, to find that Benjamin Bunny had left the nest! He was sitting just a few inches from the nest, up against the corner of the kiddie picnic table I placed as a shelter over the nest. I can’t believe that just more than a week ago his little brother barely fit into the palm of my hand.

I quietly stole away and got my camera and went back for one quick and quiet shot so as not to frighten him. Now we just have to hope he and his siblings, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, and his Momma, feel adventurous and take off for parts unknown soon so Tanner can have his yard back.

Isn’t he the cutest thing?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:54-06:00May 2nd, 2008|Blog, bunny, Sharing Nature's Garden|9 Comments

Ooops…..

Well, this is right up the “I’m not in charge” alley again. But, it’s my own fault. Last week I was gardening out front and along the driveway and my daughter had 3 friends over playing in a sand and water table. When I ran out of things to plant that would allow me to continue to watch them, I thought, to myself:

“Myself, what the heck – why don’t you just plant those dahlias in this little hole along the front walk, instead of in the back yard in the corner? They’ve been sitting in the garage for weeks and really need to go in the ground.”

This is what I said to myself.

So I planted them.

And THEN, I looked at the label.

Ooops.

Unllike Dahlias I have had many times before, Dahlias that were about 18″ – 24″, THESE Dahlias, are 48 freaking inches tall.

Yes. 4 feet tall. NOT what needs to go along this tiny stip of walkway where I have been trying deperately to eradicate the 4 foot-tall salvia that came before me.

Sigh. So, it’s operator error yet again and now at the top of my to-do list is “Move Dahlias to the back.”

(I suppose I could be in charge if I would just read the label!)

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:54-06:00May 1st, 2008|Blog, bulbs, dahlias, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

I am NOT in charge!

Sorry I’ve been AWOL for a while. Between a root canal and a miserable cold, I haven’t even had the will to blog or surf for about a week, but I am glad to report that I’m mostly well and back at the keyboard!

More than one garden author has speculated about the inherent masochistic tendencies of most gardeners. And when they write about us beating our heads against the wall repeatedly, and even with fervor, I have to laugh out loud — at myself.

That’s me. I’m a control freak. There — I said it! Seriously, it’s a problem. And it seems so ironic to me that I would take such delight in a hobby over which I clearly have such little control. Maybe it’s nature’s way of trying to balance me out — a higher power sending me a message, if you will.

But I keep at it, in spite of the fact that I know in my heart, that whatever “success” I might enjoy, I’m really, ultimately, not responsible for it!

So, today, I share with you some of my little garden reminders that “I am NOT in charge!”

The first photo above is the lovely, but unwanted trumpet vine that keeps trying to insinuate itself in many, many places that it is NOT wanted and was NOT planted!

This is the Crossvine, winding its way up into the oak trees, and not, all along the right side of the wrought iron fence, as I intended!
On the other side of the Crossvine, we find the beautiful, but precocious Wisteria, who was supposed to grow LEFT along the wood fence, but now, instead, has chosen to chase the Crossvine down the iron fence. Silly girl!
This is an unidentified salvia, planted by the previous owner. I foolishly thought I had eradicated it from its inappropriate location 3 years ago, only to find it back in full force this Spring. I’ve moved some of it to a better spot where it can grow wild and rampant, but I’m sure that it will DIE there because I planted it!
This is a grape vine that my neighbor gave me and I unitentionally killed last fall. And I have no good place to plant it, but it’s alive and begging me for help.
These are morning glories that have come back from last year. However, they waited until I bought new morning glories in a 1 gallon pot and planted them in the same place!
This is a cypress vine that took over the fence and the plants and the air conditioner and everything in sight last year, not JUST the fence by which they were lovingly planted. I’m systematically ripping these new shoots out the minute I see them now! I did plant 2 in a pot to try to contain them. Wonder how that will work out for me? Wanna guess?!!
And, this is a lovely and healthy New Gold Lantana that was NOT planted in this spot that invades the patio by several feet by mid summer. Just don’t have the heart to rip it out of there.